


Frosted-Over Hearts

by Ball_Jointed_Dragon



Category: Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Cupid also holds a grudge, Cupid can't watch his fucking language, Cupid falls in love, I know he's like 14 but he's also 300+ years old and can age shift at will, I recently commissioned an artist and they sparked inspo, Jack Frost falls in love for the first time and doesn't understand that Cupid can't control her son, M/M, Well not the first time but you know what I mean, back when I thought I was straight I thought I'd marry Jack cause he was Pretty, backstory will be provided, cupid falls in love and Doesn't Like It, he's still childish, thanks new book, their info will be in the description and will be the picture somewhere, there's multiple cupids btw
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-14
Updated: 2019-07-10
Packaged: 2019-11-18 00:04:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,697
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18109241
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ball_Jointed_Dragon/pseuds/Ball_Jointed_Dragon
Summary: Jack Frost has no idea how many people he may have pissed off during his life as, well, Jack Frost. As Jack Frost, he has also met multiple supernatural/mythical creatures, one of which is Cupid. Well, Cupid of Old Love, that is. She's a nice woman, and her wife, Cupid of Parental Love, was equally as nice and lovely.However, their son seems to be very angry towards Jack, snapping at him and avoiding him at any point he can. Now, if only Jack could figure out why, and mend the bridge he unknowingly burned.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This chapter shall be short, and more of an introduction. Apologies if it seems messy or all over the place- i haven't slept, so mayhaps I'll go back and rewrite it, haha.

Many would have you believe that the Ancients don't exist. 

The Tooth Fairy, Santa Clause, the Easter Bunny, or even Jack Frost, despite how many stories there are of them across the world, or how everyone seems to have been talking about them throughout the ages. For all anyone knows, they started out as oral stories, being told from parent to child, carrying through the generations with few, if any, changes. 

The Tooth Fairy has always taken teeth; Santa always gave gifts, and the Easter Bunny always spread fun to the kids by hiding eggs or giving treats. Of course, Jack Frost was always cold, always drawing on your windows, or freezing your water bottles on your way to class.

However, there are more Ancients, ones that haven't yet been mentioned. Of these, the most important would be Cupid; or shall one say Cupids?

Come from a long line of powerful beings, Cupid takes the form of a young woman. She's the keeper of Old Love, the kind of love that you feel when you've been married for 19 years and you still feel that flutter in your heart when your partner walks into the room, when you still believe your partner to not have aged when you're nearing your final days. She's not alone.

All of the stories told, or mentioned, exist. They only appear under the condition that you believe in them, that you trust in them. If you don't, well then. You live a sad and magic-less life, don't you?

Tooth is very nice, and sadly doesn't come out often. North is busy year round, but will take time out of his day to give you the attention you need. Easter Bunny is actually Bunnymund, and can be cold before you get to know him. 

Jack could be called the worst of the bunch, depending on your personality. He's energetic, childish, carefree. Deadlines don't scare him to the point that he pretends they don't exist. Why should the protector of Childhood worry about such adult issues? 

However, with this attitude raises an issue; Jack is so dense to the more adult issues that he becomes completely blind to anyone he pisses off aside from those he pisses off in a joking manner. Such as with Bunny and the blizzard from years back. 

This story, not told by anyone else at any point in time, was unbeknownst to the icy man himself until it was rudely shoved into his face. This is the story of how he'd pissed off Cupid's son. 

 

* * *

To preface, Cupid and Jack got along very well. 

Cupid hadn't even met Jack on purpose; rather they ran into one another while Jack was still a free spirit, bringing joy to those who couldn't see him. She'd been in a rush against the bitter cold, bringing love to those who stood under the falling flakes. 

"My apologies, ma'am!" Jack had done an exaggerated bow, pretending to take off a hat as he bent before her, glancing back up in awe when he heard a reply. 

"No, it's my fault. I wasn't looking where I was going." She'd paused, just to gather some information on who she'd just been blown into, noting his pale blue eyes and his white hair. "What's your name?" 

"Frost! Jack Frost, to be precise, always at your service!" 

They'd shaken hands, promising to have a snowball fight the next day if she could find him. 

This had been far back in the 1850's (Cupid would later learn that Jack had passed away in 1812, after he'd regained his memories), and their friendship had grown stronger since. When you've got eternity laid before you, you tend to wait things out, to let the information reveal itself as it decides. 

For Cupid, Jack had been there through many of her ordeals. Granted, she'd been a Cupid for many years, long before Jack had even been considered Jack; hell, she'd been born before time was counted by years, by thousands of years!

After Jack arrived, however, he brought fun into her life. Jack was the one who suggested that she try out different things aside from the normal chocolates and wine. He had multitudes of snowball fights, and even barged into her Cupid duties by suggesting that they spice up certain pairings, including and not limited to making a prince and a shepherd boy fall in love.  Despite how many claimed he was ruining her, leading her straight to her doom, she denied these claims and kept him around. 

For some reason, the topic of family never came up, aside from a passing "Ah, but I promised my wife-" or "The children begged me to stay in-". 

Jack never wandered the castle long enough to find any other rooms, never even found the family tree, which hung in the throne room. 

Sometime during the 1900's, no one's sure when, Frost ran into a new creature-no, a new person. 

Much like with Cupid, he hadn't been paying attention. He'd been chucking snowballs at unsuspecting victims down on the street, creating chaotic fun when he'd heard a shrill cry. 

"No!" the voice was panicked, a bit in the higher pitch. "Now I'll have twice the work to do!"

Frost turned around, facing the newcomer, wondering about the fuss. 

He was met with glaring eyes that seemed familiar, black pac-man shaped eyes that stared down in the ground in horror. A soft pink bow was strapped to this person's back, their hands pressed to their head, pushing some dark blonde hair into their eyes. Most interestingly was the pink, slim dragon-like tail that swished in clear irritation. 

"You!" the person startled Jack, making him back up as they flew up to him, taking out their bow and an arrow, aiming straight at him. "Just  _what_ did you do to my town!?"

Jack shrugged. "I gave them a snow day, why?"

This newcomer, apparently a man, cussed, snapping an arrow in half. Drops of red fell to the ground, vanishing the moment they hit the ground. 

"You've essentially locked them into their homes! Now I'll have to go to  _every_ house in this  _god forsaken town_ and shoot everybody in the house!" the man mussed up his hair, cussing even more before taking out another arrow. "What's your name."

Frost saw no need to lie, figuring that this would all blow over quickly, and he'd be able to return to having fun. 

"I'm Jack Frost. Heard of me? I'm rather famous."

The boys' face scrunched up, his entire framework conveying annoyance and disgust. "Sadly I have. Now get out of this town! You've caused enough damage as is."

Jack didn't even have a choice; the newcomer booted him out of the town by shooting an arrow dangerously close to his face. He wasn't sure if it would hurt him, but chances simply couldn't be taken right now. 

That had been decades ago at this point in time. Jack had long since forgotten about what had even occurred, and even if he remembered, the events of Pitch Black and his nightmare army certainly pushed back all thoughts of it from his mind. He simply didn't have time to think about it anymore. 

The only reason he remembered it now was because, well.

A _very_ pissed off and _very_ familiar face was staring at him from across the meeting table in Cupids tea room.

 


	2. Welcome, Frost. I Hate You!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack is invited to tea, and to stay the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I actually made a flow chart for this. And I really need to consider what else I'm going to have this story follow. Will it just be romance? Will Pitch show up? I don't even know, I just want to write about Cupid falling in love with Jack Frost. Also, quick note, since I know a few people are thinking I'm basing this off the movie - kinda. It's a mixture of the movie and the new book that came out. So Frost was human, but he still has all the abilities in the book. I'll explain later if no one knows what I'm talking about.

The warmth wasn't what made him open his eyes; it actually had the opposite effect. Yet the blinding light behind his lids made him open his eyes, wanting to see what was causing such a pain. He could feel light brushes, grass perhaps, against his cheek. The sounds of birds chirping made his eyes turn to their source, but of course, they couldn't be found.

A cold hand cupping his face made him realize what was going on; he'd had this dream over and over again, always ending the same. Nonetheless, he looked at the owner of the hand, seeing their outline. He could never see their face. It seemed everything in this dream was fuzzy, never clear.

Ida sighed as the person ran their hands through his hair, a small chill running down his spine. Whoever was with him knew him well, perhaps hinting that this dream was set in the future, mostly due to the fact that Ida never told  _anyone_ that he was a sucker for having his hair pulled back, feeling fingers run along his scalp and the nails just barely scraping along.

He wanted to frown when they placed their hands back to his jaw, their thumb moving in circles.

Gently, he placed his own hand over theirs, a sigh of love, warmth, the feeling of being  _complete._

It wasn't that he could tell that this person was in love with him, and him them, that made him feel complete. Cupids, all of them, had dreams of someone that loved them, that was likely their soulmate. Ida could remember distinctly that one of his ancestors had a similar dream about her cat, and had ensured that the cat lived as long as she did, having been terrified of what would happen should that not happen. And his other ancestor, Juliet; her dream had led her to having... relations... with a dragon. At this thought, Ida ran a hand over the hair-like ends of his tail.

His sense of completeness was addictive, this much he knew. He moved his head into thie person's hands, letting them wrap their arms around him, bringing him to their chest.

Gentle kisses, first at his lips and then down, made him want to swoon, much like his elder sister did whenever she even remotely fell in love. He went to return the kisses, but paused.

That's when he felt the cold prickling on his arms, felt the cold breath puff into his face. He sucked in a sharp breath, his eyes snapping open.

The fuzziness that had ensnared him before was now clearing up quickly, letting him catch a glimpse of whomever had been showing him the affection and love. He only saw white hair and a flash of blue; then-

He sat up, breathing heavily and looking around.

He was fine, he was okay. He was in his bed, no one next to him, silk bedsheets and the pillows that appeared to have had an attempted mangling to them. He felt as if he'd run a marathon, and swallowed an ice cube. His entire insides were cold and he feld a chill run up his spine. He needed to drink something warm, else he freeze from the inside out.

He slid out of bed, his feet sinking into the warm carpet that was beneath his bed, which hung from the ceiling. The room seemed to be colder, although he couldn't place why, seeing as how it was June in the America's. Maybe the winter was finally setting in for him?

He shook this thought off, heading to his closet in search of something he could wear that day before appearing before his Mother. A quick few flicks, tail twitching in annoyance, and he found the outfit he'd wear for the day. Black jeans, of course. Black shoes, red shirt with long sleeves and a heart pocket.

He never could find it within himself to wear anything other than his usual vest, but for some reason, he felt as if he'd regret wearing the vest. So he went with the shirt. He threw them on, passing by his mirror and ruffling up his hair as he headed to the door.

The halls remained silent as Ida walked down them, breathing in the clear air. His lungs and stomach still felt as if he'd sucked in a glacier, but he tried to remain ignorant of this fact. He'd much rather focus on how the Tree was doing, if it was alright and if there was anything wrong.

The Tree appeared to be doing fine. Running his jointed hands over the smooth bark, he could tell that today was a day full of  _puppy_ love. His sister must be out and about, whisking around those who were falling in love.

_And smacking the shit out of the pedophiles._  Ida snickered to himself, glancing out the gigantic windows. He barely looked out when he found himself at the door of his mothers tearoom.

He pushed it open, sneezing when he did so. The room smelled thoroughly of peppermint. He glanced from his mother, who almost brushed up against the lower-hanging chandelier while she sat. She wasn't wearing her usual Cupid garb. Instead, she was wearing a nice, soft pink sweater, her hair wrapped up. He could tell, even without actual eyes, that she was looking to him.

He went over, getting her to lean down enough for her cheek to reach him. "Morning, Mother."

A small ahem reminded him that his Mum was there as well, practically hidden by the sweater. He smiled sheepishly, going over to the black-haired woman and kissing her cheek as well.

"Morning, Mum."

His mum gave a smile. "You've been sleeping for a long time, Ida. We were starting to worry about you..."

Mother nodded, gently picking up her cup. "I could hear that your dreams were troubling you before you woke up."

Ida sat across from them, taking pastries from the small platter and getting himself some tea, avoiding their eyes on him.

"I was having another Novelty." He admitted, brushing his hair back. "The same one as before."

His mothers sat up straighter at his, their eyes showing their concern.

"Shouldn't your Novelty bring you longer rests? They shouldn't be waking you up with such horrible feelings..."

"Something must not be right, if it is. Have you been seeing the person in your dream?" Mother was trying to be helpful, this he knew.

"Well... no. Not in the dream or real life..." He was reluctant to admit this part. Cupid's always knew who they loved, and who they longed to be with.

All Ida knew was that this person had white hair and blue eyes, and there were  _dozens_ of people that matched that description in Valentines Village. It had been a struggle to even figure out what this person even remotely looked like, and Ida wasn't willing to date every single person that had blue eyes and white hair until his dreams stopped.

He heard his Mum's cup drop back to it's saucer. "Sweetie, are you sure you're willing to continue with these dreams? You say you haven't met them, but it's clear you have if all you've done is Novelties."

"Yeah, Mum, I'll be fine. I've got plenty of time to figure things out."

His Mother finally spoke up, adjusting her wife accordingly as she sat up. "We can talk more about this later; I know it's important, but a guest is coming over, and I'm sure Ida wouldn't want his problems to be spoken out so publicly."

Ida's mum started protesting, but Mother brushed her hair back, hushing her. Ida calmly ate his pastries, mulling his dreams over. A small chime alerted the family to their guest, cold air brushing past their feet and drawing goosebumps up their legs. Mum sat up, removing herself from her wife's lap as she headed over to the tearoom doors. She propped one of the heavy doors open with a small vase, walking out.

The feeling of an ice cube running down his throat returned as Ida heard her words from down the hall. "Jack! We've been waiting for you! Come along, we're all in the tearoom."

Ida slowly looked up, eyes wide. No, it must be someone else. It  _had_ to be someone else. He'd been avoiding him for  _years_ ever since the Incident, and he didn't want the face that was coming through the doorway to be the one he thought it to be. His face contorted in barely-supressed rage, tapping his finger on the rim of his teacup.

His Mum came through the door, all smiles, holding a familiar staff in her hands. She handed it to his Mother, pressing a kiss to her cheek.

"I took it from him because of the no weapons rule." she giggled, his Mother nodding as she gently placed the staff in the corner.

Ida nearly broke his cup as he saw the next person that came through the door.

Still taller than him by a few inches, still with his rediculous white hair, his icey eyes, the fact that he was still barefoot- It all pissed Ida off. He didn't want him here, he was ready to scream.

His Mother stood, going across the room and wrapping her arms around him in a hug, which he returned, smiling.

"Jack Frost! It's been too long."

He patted her back. "You're telling me! Glad to be back; things got really hectic recently. I needed something to balance it all out."

She led him to the table, unaware of the dirty looks Ida was passing Frost, seeming not to notice how tightly Ida was clutching his cup. Frost stared at Ida, mostly in confusion. Ida wanted to smack the confusion off his face.

"Ida! I'm not sure if you've met him before! Jack, this is Ida, he's my son. Youngest in the bunch."

Jack gave a small laugh, looking at her. "You've stopped?"

"In your dreams, Frost, in your dreams." she said in a sing song voice.

Ida kept his gaze back down at his plate, now beginning to push the pastries around his plate. His mother, in his opinion, was  _far_ too happy to see him, considering what he'd done to Valentines all those years ago. Ida could feel eyes on him, and glanced up. Jack was still looking at him, still likely trying to piece together where he'd seen Ida before. Ida gave a glare in return, causing Jack's expression to change to startled.

His mother caught this, of all things. "Ida, that was rather rude."

"I'm sorry, Mother. Frost and I have met before... and not in a good way." his tone snipped at the end, making his mother set her cup down, folding her hands together.

Silence passed over the table before Cupid spoke, veering the conversation into what Jack had been doing for the past few decades. Ida ate his pastries as Jack spoke of Pitch, how he'd finally gotten a child to see him, and how he'd had the children help with defeating him. The most startling for both Valentines had to be that Jack willingly became a Guardian.

Ida bit his tongue, annoyance growing. How come this impulsive, childish  _boy_ managed to become a  _Guardian,_ someone meant to protect and serve others?! Ida drummed his fingers against the table, his glare getting worse as time wore on.

It wasn't long before his Mother looked out the window, straightening as she saw that the day was gone. "Oh! I'm sorry Jack, it seems that we've held you for much longer than you wanted..."

"it's alright." Jack smiled, standing. "I can grab my staff and leave, it'll be okay."

"I don't think so." Ida had spoken without meaning to, and now both pairs of eyes were on him. Ida cleared his throat, looking away, "The Tree seems fine, lately, but it's getting around the time where it shuts down, and attacks anything that leaves before the times because it's confused. Remember?"

As much as he hated Frost, he knew that the world would hate  _him_  if he didn't prevent Jack Frost from being killed, especially since he was now a Guardian. Therefore, he was now an important piece to the puzzle that was the world.

"You're right.." Mother mulled it over, before looking at Ida. "Sweetie, can he sleep in your room? I understand that you... don't like him." she narrowed her eyes at this. "But if you're right, then if the Tree will be upset if he sleeps in a different room, and I'm sure that your presence will deter the Tree from making any hasty decisions while we sleep."

Ida wished that he kept his mouth shut, but he sighed, knowing the look he was being given by his mother. "Alright..."

She smiled, kissing the top of his head before she got up, heading out. "Goodnight, sweetie. I'll see you in the morning."

Now Jack and Ida were alone, Ida sighing as he sat up, picking up the plates that were now empty. Frost still ate the remaining food, Ida taking the plates as they were cleared and placing them in the woven baskets that laid at the entrance to the kitchen. Finally, everything was put away, and Ida motioned for Frost to follow him. Frost grabbed his staff, rushing to catch up with Ida, who'd begun walking away without checking to see if he was following.

The young Valentine was fuming with himself, mentally facepalming at the fact that despite his hatred, he had once again allowed his mother to convince him to do something that he'd rather die than do. Granted, it was only for a night, and it was to ensure Frost's saftey, but he wouldn't have minded shoving Frost into a linen closet and shutting it tight. His mother offering Frost  _his_ room meant that she was up to no good, and he didn't want to take chances.

The two boys remained silent was they walked down the long, elegant hall. Ida glanced at the walls, and noted that he'd been right; the wood was twisting, turning, and changing colors at some points. He'd made the right call when he'd said that the tree was trying to kill everything it didn't know. Frost, on the other hand, wasn't so immersed with his thoughts. He hummed, twirled his staff (Twiner, if Ida put his memory to the test to see if he could remember what the damn thing was called) round his hand, and even tried to strike up conversation with the Cupid that continued to lead him down twisting halls.

"So. We got off on the wrong foot?" He glanced out the window, seeing the village that sprawled over gentle hills.

No response. Ida hardly looked back at him, the only response he even recieved was that of an ear twitch.

"Got any important responsibilities to do today?"

More silence, before a quiet, "Wouldn't you like to know."

"I'm just trying to be nice and conversational here, and I can't exactly talk to myself."

At this, Ida turned and glowered, before facing forward once more. He stopped outside of a pale white door, which curved high above them. Ida pushed it open easily, despite the door appearing to be made of a heavy kind of wood.

"You can, and you will." Ida's tone remained clipped as he walked into his room, Frost following on his heels.

"What did I do to make you so mad at me?" Jack scoffed, still fiddling with Twiner as he gathered a sense of where he was.

To put it simply: He was in a room that screamed musical aesthetic. Ida headed towards a closet in the far corner, pretending not to hear Jack's question as he dug out some huge shirts and some sweatpants. He chucked them at Jack before returning to the closet and it's contents.

"Go get changed. Bathrooms on your left." Ida seemed to be changing in the closet, not coming out until he was changed.

Jack tilted his head, confused. "I have to change?"

"If you're going to be sleeping in  _my_ clean bed, I don't want  _your_ dirty, muddy pants and feet on my sheets. Go take a shower and get changed." Ida's tail swished in annoyance, the pink flashing brightly in the candlelight.

Jack found no reason to argue; he was a guest in the home, and Ida technically had just saved his life, despite the clear unwillingness of having done so. He walked into the bathroom, but came out a second later.

"What." Ida glared back at him in irritation.

"I don't know how to work bathrooms." Jack put this bluntly. He'd walked in and had been lost right away.

Ida returned to his journal, writing a few things in it as he spoke. "Go in. Remove clothes. Walk into water. Nymphs will handle the rest since you're rediculously stupid."

"Well that's not very nice, now is it?" Jack scoffed, taking up the towel he'd been given once more.

"Well, neither was ruining Valentines' Day, but we don't get to be nice all the time, do we?" Jack didn't hear this, already on the move back to the bathroom.

It was nearly time for Ida to collapse onto his bed and pass out when Jack came back out of the bathroom. He grimaced with every step, and the clothes seemed ill-fitting for him, in Ida's opinion. To be fair, no one had seen him outside of his 'uniform' very often. No matter what he'd been givien, he'd likely have been just as unflattering.

Ida sprinkled red sand onto the still-wet ink, gently putting some blotting paper between the pages as he shut the journal, setting it back amongst the rest of the books. Jack stood awkwardly, watching as Ida stood, stretched, and headed to his bed. Ida didn't turn his head as he spoke.

"Yes, you're sleeping in my bed. Mother would kill me if she found out I let you sleep on the floor. Venus forbid if I made you sleep on the floor..." he scowled at this.

"So we'll be bed mates?" Jack gave a little grin, walking over to the bed that was large enough for both boys and then some.

"Don't test my patience, Frost." Ida flopped on the bed, face-first, grabbing a blanket at random and tossing it over his head. He was ready to sleep, even if it meant facing the nightmare once more.

Jack went quiet as his host fell asleep, crawling onto the bed and finding a spot that he deemed comfortable. He glanced at all the blankets Ida wasn't using, taking as many that he could and grabbing all the pillows that he could gather as well. Very quickly, he found that he had created a huge area simply for this (likely) short rest.

He laid back, looking over at the now-sleeping form of Ida. He didn't seem to appear so pissed-off when he was sleeping; granted, he still maintained a frown, but his eyebrows weren't furrowed, and his eyes weren't flashing with hate whenever he talked to Jack. Instead, he was frowning, eyes clothed, blankets wrapped around himself tightly, almost as if to keep away a chill.

Jack thought this over; he wasn't sure how he felt about the fact that Ida hated him. It wasn't even questionable, Ida made his dislike clear. But why? Jack couldn't even remember a reason as to why someone would hate him so badly.

He shrugged it off, knowing that he was loosing sleep over trying to figure out something he could ask Cupid in the morning.

As he began to drift off, Ida's face changed, a face of pain and longing. His hand reached out, searching. It was such a strange sight, considering that earlier that same face had given him the death stare, and that same hand had made some rather rude guestures when Cupid hadn't been looking. Yet Jack couldn't help but reach back; maybe it was instinct from all the times children reached for him to hold his hand while they did some mundane task, or from when North had been teaching him manners (which didn't end well).

Ida relaxed the moment Jack's hand met his, the jointed fingers moving to wrap around Jack's hand. He couldn't pull his hand away even if he tried.

Jack watched as Ida shuffled in his sleep once more, pulling himself more towards the owner of the hand. The Guardian complied, bringing himself closer and meeting the Valentine in the middle. Finally, Ida laid still, the frown vanishing from his face. He now simply looked like any other resting being.

Jack closed his eyes, finding himself suddenly exhausted. He supposed he could figure out things tomorrow; he certainly couldn't figure out the opposing actions that Ida was portraying.

He faded into sleep, falling into a dream that was filled with plesantries.

Ida, on the other hand, got a good nights rest for the first time in years.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: To make a few things clear: I've been working on this for a few days, so some things may seem rushed. Sorry for that. Novelties are soulmate dreams, basically. One Cupid even had a dream about cake, so don't worry; the cat Cupid isn't the only one to have a dream about a non-person.
> 
> Ida doesn't harbor any feelings for Jack... yet.
> 
> And he refers to Jack as Frost because in Valentines Village, it's a high form of dishonor to be referred to by your last name, unless you've recently been married (the time limit for this ends the day after the honeymoon).
> 
> As to what I was talking about in the beginning: Jack, in his new book, is able to change his age at will. His staff is named Twiner, and can also turn into a humanoid being, but obvioulsy I've left this part out.
> 
> At the moment, Jack's 17, whilst Ida is 16 (at least according to humans, that's what his mindset is. I myself am still figuring out ages and the years it'd take Ida to age a year in Cupid terms). I do plan on more mature things in the future? I guess? Not really; not explicietly. I just kinda maybe mention it in passing, or maybe I write the scene leading up to it before cutting it off-
> 
> Maybe I'll write it, fuck if I know. It's unlikely, as I'm not at the point where I'm comfortable sharing that kinda stuff despite the stuff that's already out there (looking at the HiJack fandom).
> 
> If you have any advice as to what parts I should extend and which ones I should shorten, or even if you just have questions about the fanfic/pairing in general, please ask! I'm more than happy to anwer.


	3. Your Ceremony is Mine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ida dreams once more of his mysterious soulmate, whilst Jack gets a tour of the Valentines Tree

_**A/N: I’m not sure still on how I can get to the ending I have planned for this.** _

 

_**I just know I have an ending.** _

 

The quiet whispering woke him, this time.

 

He was familiar with whom was whispering to him, the lives that were watching his own as he lived it. The familiar dream-grass that waved over him was so soft, and he was far too tempted to simply lay in it and keep his eyes closed.

 

Yet once more, the light forced him awake.

 

He sat up slowly, cautious on how he moved. More than once, he’d been awoken in the dream only to find a trap lying in wait, shoving him awake in the real world.

 

A bright blue sky, the green grass with the yellow and purple flowers, and the Omni-present shadows of his ancestors.

 

“You know, it’s rude to watch someone sleep.” He went to stand, but was yanked back by something.

 

He turned, and there was a form, surrounded by Anne’s lace, their hand entwined in his.

 

While holding this persons hand was nice, and their hand was warm and inviting, he forced himself to let go, and to get them to let go.

 

“I need to talk with my family for a second.” He hope that this would, in some way, help, yet it was fruitless.

 

The being spoke, but their voice was horribly distorted. “Stay.”

 

“I can’t. They’re watching, and I need to talk to them.”

 

“Who?”

 

“My family. They’re watching.”

 

“But no ones there.” At this point, the being wrapped their arm around Idas waist, using their free hand to cup his cheek.

 

The chill returned, dancing along the areas where this person had their arms and hands. Normally, Ida would be furious, demanding that he be let go. Now, however, he leaned into the hand, taking in the affection he hardly allowed himself when he was awake.

 

“Come back to bed.” The being led Ida back to the spot they’d been resting in, despite Idas turns to look at the shadows of his ancestors.

 

They continued to watch him, slowly vanishing as he returned to his spot with the being.

 

When he’d settled down, he stared at the being, trying to gather details. White hair, blue clothes... and a square jaw?

 

Ida sat up, studying the person ever closer. Before, it was a simple outline and colors Ida could get. Now, he could tell what the hairstyle the person wore was, and it was strangely familiar.

 

He could squint and see that this person had light blue eyes, which were staring at him in abject confusion.

 

Why were they so familiar?

 

They belonged to someone he knew, but. He simply couldn’t place his finger on it.

 

His hand reached out, desperate to try and figure out this mystery, but the person moved away, leaving him feeling cold and helpless.

 

When Ida awoke, his hand was outstretched above him, and it aches as if the position had been held for hours.

 

Even before he realized he was alone, he felt tears run down the sides of his face, the sense of loss heavy within the air.

 

When Jack had taken Ida up on his offer of staying in his bedroom, in order to prevent a tree from becoming murderous and killing him, he hadn’t expected half the things he had that night.

 

First, he had a bath.

 

Not horrible, but strange nonetheless. The nymphs that giggled at him didn’t make him feel better, and he as relieved to find out that there were indeed bathing shorts for guests, and a changing room.

 

Secondly, he hadn’t expected to fall asleep.

 

He was dead, and had been for centuries. He didn’t _need_ sleep, even. It was a nice experience, yes, and it passed the time, but was it necessary? Absolutely not.

 

Thirdly, even when he was asleep, he had the strangest dream that he’d ever had; and that’s saying something, considering his life.

 

Waking up in a field of flowers and green grass was nice. In fact, many would say it was lovely.

 

However, what wasn’t lovely was the (hopefully) sleeping body next to him. The body didn’t move, and it didn’t have many features to it.

 

All he could see was tan-ish skin, a few tufts of dirty blonde hair, and a few random lines here and there.

 

The image had freaked him out completely; it’s not everyday you see a probably-dead body within your dreams, and anytime Jack dreamed about someone that was dead, it never ended well.

 

So many sleepless nights had taught him this.

 

But as for the final thing that creeped him out, it had to be Ida himself.

 

Despite Ida showing clear hatred when he was awake, he wanted to show love when he was asleep, apparently. Having woken from his dream, Jack had become a sort-of guard, mostly looking out the window that Idas bed rested near. The moon was full, shining brightly.

 

“Sorry, Moon. The Tree said no work tonight.” He gave a light chuckle, then paused as Ida shuffled in his sleep.

 

When Jacks had set up his position for guarding the two of them, he’d moved to the edge of the bed, in order to avoid being near Ida.

 

Ida, on the other hand, sat up, and was squinting behind Jack, as if to try and see what was hiding in the shadows. A moment passed, and Ida crawled over to the winter sprite, collapsing back to the bed when he was a few inches away. The Cupid’s arms opened up, wrapping around Jacks waist, and pulling him close.

 

Idas face nestled into Jacks side, falling still once more. It seems that Ida was that person that cuddled others in his sleep, or a pillow if he was alone. That would explain a few of the large, stuffed animals that he’d seen before Ida had tossed them into the closet.

 

Jack was terrified. On one hand, if he moved, Ida might wake up and claim Jack put him there. On the other, if he left him there until he woke up, Ida would be furious, more so than he was before.

 

He voted to leave Ida alone. If worst came to worse, it’d be easy to tell Ida that he’d been the one to get all buddy-buddy with him.

 

Hours passed. The moon went down. Jack watched patiently, eyed dancing slowly around the room as Ida remained in his huddled up position.

 

That’s when he began to speak and move, promptly scaring the living Christ out of Jack.

 

“I need to talk with my family for a second.” He let go of Jack, climbing out of bed and heading to the door.

 

Now, he may have been the only one, but Jack wasn’t one to let someone who’s unconscious leave a room at random.“Stay.”

 

Jacks unease has grown when Idas eyes were revealed to be closed still, and he was sure no one was up at this hour.

 

That didn’t mean they were free from danger, of course. Ida was a Cupid after all, and they were very highly ranked, even compared to the Guardians; the only difference was that while Guardians protected kids, Cupids protected the feeling of love, and the actions that stemmed from this feeling. A very important thing, Hack found.

 

“I can’t. They’re watching, and I need to talk to them.” Well, that was _not_ something you wanted to hear in the early morning hours.

 

“Who?” Jack gently ran his hands up Idas arm, trying to lure him back to bed; Ida was resistant to this, pulling back.

 

“My family. They’re watching.” Ida continued to pull back, growing desperate.

 

“But no ones there.” Jack rested his hand on Idas cheek, trying to get him to face him, or at least deter him from heading to the door again. Surprisingly, Ida allowed this, even going so far as to nuzzle into his hand.

 

“Come back to bed.” He whispered.

 

Finally, Ida stopped. He turned and looked behind him, then turned back to Jack, tiredly moving back to the bed. He fell back and stopped moving and speaking, letting Jack grow hopeful that maybe the strangeness was over.

 

Of course, he was wrong, but at least he had a few moments of peace before Ida once more did something strange: he sat up and looked over Jack, eyes half-open but hazy.

 

Jack had a feeling that while Ida was looking, he wasn’t truly seeing. Finally, finally, Ida laid himself back down, pulling Jack closer again.

 

The winter sprite gave a relived sigh, daring to loop an arm around the Cupid and letting his hand rest on Idas shoulder.

 

The sunset was beautiful. The humans would be jealous of this sunset, that was for sure. Jack had slipped away from Ida, not taking his chances on seeing if Ida rose early.

 

He padded down the hallways, glancing out the windows as he did so.

 

The pink clouds reminded him of cotton candy. The Rivers were startlingly similar to the paintings Jack has seen on his journey as the winter sprite he now was.

 

The hallways were twisting and winding, confusing Jack until he found that he could no longer return to Idas room even if he wanted to.

 

Instead, he stumbled upon a room which must have been the dining room.

 

Young people, at least in their 20s, were setting a table. A quick count of the table revealed that there would be 10 people sitting there. Everything about this room made him feel strange, as if something bigger was going on. Something like a party?

 

It was on the tip of his tongue, a phrase he’d learned ages ago, when he’d last visited.

 

The people, servants he supposed, brushed out the tablecloth, set down napkins and silverware that was freshly polished. Plates with intricate details that shine were set next to these utensils, and the curtains were flung open with ease.

 

As the people cleared out, Jack wandered after them, curious as to how this place worked- after all, he’d usually only been over for tea, it wasn’t like he’d been there for anything else.

 

The people walked out through an oak door, smiling and chatting with one another. He followed them through the maze of doors and hallways, glancing through the windows to check how much time was passing,

 

It wasn’t long before the group reached a smaller door, where loud laughter and music was coming through. Jack was drawn to this door, excitement building as the door was opened,

 

His eyes went wide, glancing around at the scene before him.

 

It was as if he’d walked into North’s shop, only... livlier, almost, brighter!

 

Hundreds, if not thousands, of people, all dressed in Valentine attire, sat at large tables, conversing with one another brightly.

 

Decorations were being put up by half the population, the other half eating and waiting for their turn. Jack took quick note that the elderly, children, disabled, or pregnant Valentines were the ones sitting and eating. Those who were able-bodied were diving the work by what they could do, based on their skills. Jack only guessed this by the fact that a leader was chatting with the workers before they were given a job.

 

“This is... amazing.” He felt as if he couldn’t bring the words out, and forcing them out was a struggle.

 

A Valentine that had heard him, an older, fat woman, wandered over to him, using her cane to help her over.

 

“Are you new here, youngster?” She smiled, her ball-joints (much like Idas and his siblings) folding carefully.

 

“Uh, Yes. You could say that? I usually come for tea with Evelyn... this is all new to me.”

 

“And how is it?”

 

“Beautiful!” His voice held no hesitation now, and he looked over when she chuckled.

 

“We should hope it’s beautiful. A ball is going to be held here in three days time.” She used her cane to lean on it as she carefully dug within her purse, pulling a small paper out, “here you are. Read this.”

 

He took the paper, thanking the old woman for the paper. He read through the gilded paper quickly.

 

_We, the Valentine family, welcome you to our palace much later than usual, for a very important event within the Prince Ida’s life; his bonding ceremony!_

 

_On this date, Ida will allow the Tree, which brings us such love, peace, and unity, full control over finding the one whom he will remain bonded with for now til the end._

 

_We hope that you will accept our offer, for both the party and the after party._

 

_We also extend an invitation, from now til the end, for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, which shall be prepared by someone new every day._

 

Jack was a bit confused, looking to the older woman, who’s black eyes shone.

 

“What’s a Bonding Ceremony?” Jacks thumb ran over the words again, frowning.

 

“Ah, the Bonding Ceremony. It’s that special moment in a Cupids young life that they find the one they shall live with for the rest of their lives.”

 

Jack grimaced. “So the Tree decides which person you get to tolerate for the rest of your life?”

 

“Oh, it doesn’t have to be a person, hun.” She chuckled again. “There’s been more than one occasion where the Cupid has been bonded with a pet, or with a device they find has sentimental value to them.”

 

“Did you know anyone like that?” Jacks confusion was lessening, growing intrigued.

 

“Oh, plenty! My mother bonded to her cat. My sister was bonded to her son after he was born, and she raised him with a firm grip. He grew into an exemplimentary young man, bonding with a wonderful wife.”

 

“So it’s not always romantic?” Jack lifted his head, looking over the crowd of Cupids.

 

The old woman scoffed. “It’s never about Romance, sunny. That’s Romans job.”

 

The two shared a laugh.

 

“In reality, you find that a best friend is much more important than a romantic partner. That’s why when you choose said romantic partner, you choose your best friend. A romantic bond is no good if you hate one another.”

 

“Is it possible to bond to someone outside of the Cupid circle?”

 

“You have many questions - that’s a good thing.” The old woman stretched a bit, before looking over at the large oak doors, seeing the Valentine family walk in and begin to mingle. “Yes, it’s very common actually.”

 

Jack spotted Ida, who was now dressed in a gold vest with his usual black pants and boots. The young Valentine was chatting with a young woman who wore a similar shade of gold, although she seemed to be a baker, judging from the flour on her apron.

 

“Are they like other royal families? In the human world, monarchies are a rare breed now.” In reality, Jack wanted to change the topic. 

“Oh, no. This couldn’t really be considered a monarchy, you could say.”

“No?” Jack looked over at the old woman, shock evident.

“No. The Valentine family exists to protect us. They constantly use their magic, which is very different from our magic, to protect us from outside forces. They help us feed ourselves, and long before today, they once starved to ensure us civilians ate lavishly.”

“Wow. That really is different from monarchies in the human world.”

“But of course. Humans don’t love each other as much as Cupids love each other. We’re a tight knit community here.”

There was a moment of silence as Jack listened to the music, taking a deep breath. 

“I wish I were apart of this community.”

“Well, you never know, hun.”

The old woman started hobbling away, moving over to a group of small children, all of whom were ball-jointed. 

Jack remained standing in the corner, staring st the scene before him. Despite his solitude in the corner, he didn’t feel alone.

He felt warm and welcomed.

Another glance at Ida made him feel a bit mischiouvous, and he pushed himself off the wall.

Ida hadnt been expecting him. He had his back turned, Evelyn not too far from Ida, easily in hearing distance. Jack rounded Idas side, grasping Idas hand, startling him.

“So, what’s this about a Bonding Ceremony?”  Jacks tone was coy.

“None of your business.” Ida snatched his hand back, clearly upset. “Are you suicidal?! You left my room by yourself! The Tree could have killed you!”

“Ah, the key word here is could. Now cmon, Ida. I won’t be against asking your mother for an invitation.”

Ida frowned, his eye twitching as he weighed his options. Either have his mother embarrass him by loudly inviting Jack, or have himself give Jack an invitation. His lip curled down, but he dug out an invitation and shoved it into Jacks hands. 

“Just be quiet and don’t make a scene.” He growled.

It could have been the lighting, but Jack could have sworn he saw the dusting of blush on Idas cheeks.

“Oh, but of course Princey.”

“Fr-“

“Oh, would you look at the time.” Jack beamed. “I have to go to the North Pole.”

“We’re not done, Frost!” Ida tried to grab at Jacks shirt, but Jack danced out of range. 

“You can keep my hoodie for now- I’ll be back tomorrow!” He said this cheerily, leaving the room quickly after.

Ida was left shocked, nervous, and horrified. Evelyn had heard Idas side, and smiled down at her son. 

“Aw, is my sweet boy inviting his friends to his bonding ceremony?”

“Mother. Please.” 

With that, he rushed out of the room, tail swishing in agitation, glancing for balconies that he could take a breather on.

_What had he gotten himself into._

**Author's Note:**

> Hello Hello!  
> This story has been in the back of my mind since ROTG first came out, but it didn't always start out as gay or as complex as I'm writing it down to be. In fact, it was just me, being young and seemingly straight, that shipped Jack Frost with Cupid, back when Cupid was a young girl that had a book on her hip full of names written in pink ink.  
> She'll still appear, but not as prominently, and only in passing.  
> Recently, I've gone over what was wrong and right, what was okay and what wasn't, and I've decided that it was perfectly fine for me to ship an oc with Jack Frost; there's no harm in it except if I were to write the 18+, which would be crossing a barrier for me, for some reason.  
> Long story short, this story came about because I told myself "If everyone else can ship Jack with Elsa, you're free to ship Jack with Ida. Fretting over the smaller details is dumb; just have fun without crossing the lines you've drawn".  
> So here we are.  
> What kicked me off my ass to write this is the artist, niccillustrates on tumblr! I saw her art with Jack and I just had to find her commission prices, to which I then spent the best $32 ever by commissioning Jack and Ida (not kissing or anything, but we're getting there.)  
> I highly suggest going to commission her, she deserves it! And without her, this wouldn't exist, so take it as you will. It made me happy, and that's what matters most.


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